Grafton h



(No Model.)

CT. H. DUVALL.

FLOOR PLANK CLAMP.

Patented June 26, 1883.'

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

GRAFTON H. nUvALL, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AsSIeNOR OE ONE-HALE To BANNER THOMAS, OE SAME PLACE.

FLOOR-PLANK CLAMP.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,152, dated June 26, 1883.

Application filed March 22, 1883. (No model.) y

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GRAFTON H. DUvALL, of Frankford, Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Floor-Blank Clamp, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved device for pressing floorplanks together before nailing them to the beams. Y

The invention consists in a frame containing a sliding rack-plate, the end of which can be pressed against the edge of the end plank by means of a pivoted lever having a pivoted pawl engaging with the rack. They frame is provided with two laterally-swinging arms having prongs which can be driven into the beam for holding the frame in place, and the frame is also provided with a pawl-lever for automatically locking the sli ding rack-plate in place on the frame.

,Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a longitudinal elevation of my improved floorplank clamp, parts being at the front end with a transverse head, E. On

y the upper surface of the sliding plate D a rack,

E, is formed, having its teeth inclined toward the head E. On the front, end of the uppery edges of the side plates, B, jaws F are formed, in which a shaft, G, is journaled, on which a lever, II, is rigidly mounted, to the lower end of which lever a pawl, J, is journaled, which is adapted to engage with the teeth of the rack E. On the front end of each side plate, B,

laterally-projecting jaws J are formed, in which jaws laterally-swinging arms K are pivoted, each of which is provided at the outer end with an inwardly-proj ecting prong or spur, L. About at the middle of one Side plate, B, laterally-projecting j aws M are formed, in which a pawl-levcr, N, is. j ournaled, the inner end of which passes through a slot, O, tothe side plate to engage witha rack, I), formed on vone of the longitudinal edges of the `plate D.

,A spring, Q, attached to the outer end of the pawl-lever M, presses the inner end of the Same against the teeth of the rack l?. The plate A is placed on the upper edge of a beam in such a manner that the lower parts n of the side plates, B, rest against the sides of the beam, and then the spurs L are driven into the sides of the beam for th/e purpose of holding the plate A in place on the beam. If the lever II is moved in the direction ofthe arrow a', the pawl J catches on the teeth of the rack E on the plate D and moves the same in the direction of the arrow b. The head E presses against a strip placed against the edge of the fioonplanks to protect the same from being ins jured, and thereby thefioor-planks are pressed together and can then be nailed down. The sliding plate D is locked in place by the pawllever N. If the plate D is to be withdrawn in the inverse direction of the arrow b', the outer end of the pawl`lever N is pressed against the side plate for the purpose of disengaging the inner end of the pawl-lever from `the rack I). By means of the lever II great power `can be excrt-ed and the planks can be pressed very firmly together.

I am aware that -a floor-clamp having its body slotted longitudinally to receive a ser- IOO claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a ilo0r-plank clamp, the combination, with a frame fitting on the beams and provided With laterally-swinging pronged arms for holding it in place, of a rack-plate sliding in the frame, and a pivoted lever provided with a paWl engaging With the rack-plate, substantially as-herein shown and described, and for Io the purpose set forth.

2. In a floor-plank Clamp, the combination,

with the plate A, having sides forming guided grooves C, of the sliding rack-plate D,-having a head, E, the pivoted lever H, the paWl J, pivoted to the same, and the laterally-swinging arms K, provided with prongs L, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

GRAFTON HENRY DUVALL. Witnesses:

J. W. HAMPTON, Jr., F. B. VANDEGRIFT; 

